bUSINESS rETENTION AND eXPANSION (br&e) IS A TESTED METHODOLOGY FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF A COMMUNITY BY HELPING EXISTING BUSINESSES BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE; ENCOURAGING THEM TO STAY AND EXPAND IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY. tHIS ASSIGNMENT WILL DELIVER COMPREHENSIVE; VOLUNTEER BASED br&e PROCESSES IN SPECIFIC BORDER REGIONS OF THE THREE bALTIC sTATES (eSTONIA; lATVIA AND lITHUANIA). tHE SUPPORT WILL BE DELIVERED THROUGH A JOINT EFFORT (LEARNING-BY-DOING); WITH A TASK FORCE OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS; SPECIFICALLY UTILIZING A VOLUNTEER-BASED SURVEY AND BUSINESS VISITATION METHODOLOGY TO COLLECT INFORMATION; CREATE NETWORKS AND CONNECTIONS; SHARE INFORMATION; IDENTIFY KEY ISSUES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CRAFT ACTION PLANS TO HELP ADDRESS THOSE. tHE bALTICS cATCHING-UP rEGIONS iNITIATIVE (bALTICS cUri) AIMS TO STRENGTHEN CAPACITIES OF REGIONAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN BORDER REGIONS OF eSTONIA; lATVIA AND lITHUANIA TO IDENTIFY; ENABLE AND ACCELERATE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES UNDER CURRENTLY AVAILABLE eUROPEAN cOHESION POLICY FUNDING. tHE ENVISIONED br&e PROCESS AND OUTPUTS CONSTITUTE TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES UNDER TWO BROAD THEMES OF FOCUS IN THE PROJECT; NAMELY LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS WELL AS BUILDING LOCAL TRUST AND VIBRANCY.